Caroline G

We've previously put our UK house up for sale & rental when making plans to go to Oz. We didn't leave for various reasons at that time.

We noticed we kept on getting letters from the DVLA about vehicles that had been running lights, hits & runs (on other vehicles not people :scared: ) & a letter & bill from a car storage yard. THE VEHICLES HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH US WHATSOEVER. NEVER HEARD OF THE REGISTERED OWNERS. Plus, we've lived in our house over 5years now. We had to write a few letters to DVLA etc. & it caused some annoying irritating admin ontop of sorting other stuff but it's sorted now.

An ex-police man I know said people will spot agents boards & use those addresses to register their vehicles hoping that it will be a while before anyone does anything about it. So, think twice before having a board outside your property.....

PhilShila

I would have thought they'd go for derelict or obviously empty properties. Most houses up for sale are still being lived in and if you got a vechicle registration document sent to you by DVLA for a car you don't own, you'd surely call them or post it back, wouldn't you?

Phil

bridiej

That's what I thought too........

CadburysFingers

The two posters above make a good point, but you do also, we have never had a board outside a property when selling, simply because you are letting the world know that the property may become empty or could be a nice refuge for squatters etc.

spottydog

I can understand this with a "To Let" board since properties that are for let are mostly empty awaiting the next tennant (or otherwise contain a tennant who is about to move out and therefore doesn't care) and when a tennant does move in they will just think any mail is for previous tennants and probably bin it. With homes that are only For Sale then I would think they wouldn't bother since they are likely to be lived in by the owners so any odd addresses will be noticed.

I would think they saw the For Sale and To Let boards and thought a Buy to Let landlord was going to take whichever offer (sale or rent) that came first.

Another similar thing is Estate Agents put up for sale and to let boards outside blocks of flats for free advertising and they stay there because everyone thinks someone else is renting or selling.

Vanessa

You don't get this so often these days because of the risk of prosecution.